This proverb reflects the idea that a person can die without having lived a worthy or proper life. In other words, the individual did not make the best out of their life, and upon death, this is reflected in their actions or the memories left behind, often symbolized by the dirty lambamena (funeral shroud). An equivalent English proverb might be ‘Living without living rightly’, indicating that someone goes through life without truly valuing it and leaves behind a negative impression or regret after their death.